"Why I am a Calvinist..."

Disclaimer:
This is a post originally from my Xanga Blog I also run. It was composed and posted January 6, 2006 @ 9:18pm. I thought I should migrate some of the more important posts I've done over here from time to time as well.


The Top 33 Reasons I Am A Calvinist
:
  • Isaiah 6:8-10 (ESV) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And he said, "Go and say to this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
  • Ezekiel 36:24-27 (ESV) [The Word of the LORD came to me:] "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your felesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
  • Daniel 4:17 (ESV) [A holy one proclaimed,] "The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men."
  • Daniel 4:35 (ESV) All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and [the Most High] does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
  • Matthew 11:27 (ESV) [Jesus said,] "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
  • Mark 4:10-12 (ESV) And when [Jesus] was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven'."
  • Luke 18:7 (ESV) [The Lord said] "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?
  • Luke 19:10 (ESV) [Jesus said to Zacchaeus,] "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
  • John 6:36-37 (ESV) [Jesus declared,] "But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
  • John 6:44(ESV) [Jesus answered them,] "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."
  • John 6:64-65 (ESV) [Jesus said to them,] "But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
  • John 10:14-15 (ESV) [Jesus said,] "I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep.
  • John 10:25-30 (ESV) Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe me because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I will give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
  • John 12:39-41 (ESV) Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them. Isaiah said these things because he saw [Jesus'] glory and spoke of him.
  • John 15:16 (ESV) [Jesus said,] "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."
  • John 17:1-2, 6-9 (ESV) When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him....I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word."
  • Acts 4:27-28 (ESV) For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
  • Acts 13:48 (ESV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
  • Romans 3:10-11 (ESV) As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks God.
  • Romans 8:28-30 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
  • Romans 9:10-18 (ESV) And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call--she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
  • Romans 9:19-24 (ESV) You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault?" But who are you, O Man, to answer back to God? vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory--even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience
  • 1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV) God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
  • Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
  • Ephesians 1:11 (ESV) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
  • Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) And do no grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (ESV) For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (ESV) But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • 2 Timothy 1:8-9 (ESV) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began...
  • Titus 3:3 (ESV) For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
  • 1 Peter 1:1-2, 5 (ESV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect, exiles of the dispersions in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
  • 1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.


Maybe ya'll will understand why I believe in the doctrine of predestination-- after all... it IS biblical! ;-)

ps: for those of you who may not know, Calvinism is the doctrine that states that God, in effect, chooses who will go to Heaven. It is not a byproduct (either at all or only) of our "free will" (which, by the way, is not a term found in the Bible), but by the love and mercy of God, who chose us. Man is so sinful, there is NO WAY we could turn from our ways ourselves... God chose to show us grace and mercy because of his love for us

*note: all bold was added to scripture for emphasis*


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Comments

  1. Awesome scriptures...what am I saying? It's ALL awesome! I am wondering though, what does this mean (being the doctrine of predestination) for the idea of free will? What about the "asking Jesus to come into your heart"? And that Jesus died so that "whosoever" believes in Him may live (with my understanding that "whosoever" would be anyone who would, which could be all people, though I know all won't believe in Him) Would this mean that those who receive salvation are all predestined? I think I answered my own question there...So, what then would be the difference between being a Calvinist and being a Baptist (which I am right now)? I hope this all makes sense...I am genuinely curious...I am leaning more toward being reformed nowadays, I think, so I am trying to learn. I am really enjoying your blog in the meantime! Hope the rest of your Sunday is blessed!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @ mrshester: Thanks for the support and encouragement. To answer some of your questions...

    1) "what of free will?" our wills are not entirely free. they are bound to sin. they are so much bound to sin that Paul says we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins. can a dead man choose anything? to resurrect himself? surely not. our wills are not free. they are enslaved to sin - spiritually dead apart from Christ.

    2) "what about asking Jesus to come into our hearts?" we don't become regenerate born again creatures by asking Jesus into our hearts. this language is not used anywhere in the Bible. instead we repent of our sin (change our mind about sin and turn away from it) and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (placing our saving faith/trust in Christ's sacrifice to atone for our sin). Even these actions of repentance and faith do not save us. If they did... salvation would be a result of OUR work. We are saved by the blood of Christ alone. His death did not make salvation merely possible. he purchased it completely.

    3) Jesus did die that whosoever believes will not perish but instead have eternal life. However, John 3:16 says nothing about the condition or the ability of man TO believe. From the Greek, a great translation of that phrase is "all the believing ones" or "all who believe." The point of Jn 3:16 is to say those who DO believe do not perish but instead have eternal life. it doesn't say HOW they come to believe, agreed?

    However, I again do agree with the bible... anyone who DOES come to God is forgiven. True that and amen! However, how does man come to God? if he is spiritually dead? what is impossible with man, is possible with God.

    4)"Those who receive salvation are all predestined?" YES. :-) Ephesians 1:4-12, Romans 8 (entire chapter).

    5) "What is the difference between being a calvinist and being a baptist?" :-) hehe. I'm not laughing AT you. it's just... ok. HISTORICALLY, Baptists WERE ALL CALVINIST. Calvinism is not a denomination in and of itself. Historically, Baptists and Presbyterians were all Calvinists. C.H. Spurgeon? - the great Baptist preacher from london? Avid Calvinist. Albert Mohler? - the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary? Avid Calvinist.

    Many many baptists nowadays though place man's sovereign control in salvation over that of God's sovereign control. however, at their primary core, they are compatible. ... the eschatology that flows forth from baptist theology CAN come into friction with Calvinism. however many (like John MacArthur) just live with the contradiction. oh well. :-) I can tell you more if you wanna know. I'm not sure about John Piper's eschatology but yeah.

    Let me know if that was clear enough. if not... I'll try to make things clearer. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ryan,
    Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, as silly as they may have been.

    I'm confused about where the whole term "free will" came from. Though I am no Bible scholar, I can say I never have read that term in His Word., but it's one I've used before. Wow...that opens up a whole new realm of pondering for me...

    What bugs me, after reading your responses, is that we even use these phrases, like "free will" and "asking Jesus into our hearts", if they aren't scriptural. Wouldn't it be wrong of us to do so?

    #3: yes, I agree.

    #4: Can it be any plainer than that, Mrs. Hester? :) (I do talk to myself often...)

    #5: Go ahead, you can laugh, I do! Could it be any more obvious how clueless I kinda am? I think my question stems from the little time I have been learning about all this, that there seems to be accusations that predestination is somehow untrue? Am I even close, that there is some animosity toward that belief? But why? It's plain as day in His Word...

    Eschatology is about End Times, isn't it? What is the general Baptist belief about eschatology? I personally think that when Jesus was telling his disciples that there would be great tribulations, like never before, it doesn't leave alot of room for me to fully trust in a rapture before then, but I do believe in a rapture somewhere (the catching away to meet Him in the sky). It's all so deep for me, lol.

    I admit I am sometimes leery about calling myself anything other than a follower of Christ, the true Christ of the Bible, than labeling myself as a Baptist (and specifically a Southern Baptist) because there are certain things people tend to think about you when you say that. And the more I am learning about the "church" that has become so mainstream, the less I am inclined to do so.

    Thank you again, I am enjoying the discussion!

    ReplyDelete

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